The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), of which AMC is a member, maintains guidelines for the life stages of cats in conjunction with the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). These purr-fectly tailored guidelines help veterinary professionals make recommendations for wellness care for cats of different life stages. The guidelines address four feline age groups: kittens (birth to 1 year of age), young adult (1-6 years of age), mature (7-10 years of age) and senior cats (> 10 years of age). In today’s blogpost, I’ll discuss the nuances of veterinary care for each of these age groups and the one thing all cat owners should do to ensure the health and vitality of their feline friends.
Age-Specific Feline Care Recommendations
The veterinary recommendations vary slightly between age groups. For kittens, the emphasis is socialization and preventive care, such as vaccination and parasite control. In the young adult cat, the focus is on exercise and nutrition to maintain an ideal body condition. As a cat matures, monitoring for diseases like kidney disease becomes more important. In the senior cat, early detection and management of multiple chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and arthritis, is required.
Recommendations for Cats of All Ages
The one recommendation common to all feline life stages is the recommendation for a wellness exam every year, at minimum. Cats are the masters of disguise, and they can develop severe illness before their family realizes there is a problem. Routine examinations and blood tests help unmask feline diseases early, when there are more treatment options. As an AAHA-accredited hospital, AMC veterinarians make this recommendation to all cat families.
Science Says Yes to Annual Exams for Cats
A recent publication in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine lends scientific support to the AAHA/AAFP recommendation. In a recent study in Belgium, over 250 mature and senior cats were evaluated by a very thorough examination including blood tests, urinalysis, blood pressure, eye examinations and thyroid screening. About 20% of these cats had an illness discovered during that examination. The healthy cats were studied for the next 2 years. During that 2-year span, one-third of the cats received a disease diagnosis. Looking at cats by age group, about a quarter of the cats in the mature group and 50% of the senior cats received a clinical diagnosis over the two-year study. This information confirms the importance of annual examination by a veterinarian to identify diseases in your cat. The top two diseases diagnosed in this study were chronic kidney disease and hyperthyroidism.
Barriers to Veterinary Visits for Cats
Despite the science supporting the benefits of routine veterinary visits for cats, cat families are often reluctant to take their cat to the veterinarian. The excuses range from “I can’t get my cat into the carrier” to “my cat hates the vet’s office and hisses and spits at the other cats when she comes home.” In response to those concerns, I have the following suggestions:
Leave your cat carrier out all the time with a cozy blanket and some catnip toys in it. This plan will make your cat love to get into the carrier.
In advance of an appointment, ask your veterinarian how to make the examination a better experience for your cat. This might include prewarmed towels on the exam table, feline pheromone diffusers in the office or medications to reduce your cat’s anxiety.